1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a forceps for endoscope used when grasping and severing a living organism.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-152606, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
In surgical treatment performed by inserting a surgical instrument into human abdominal cavities, the abdominal cavities are minimized so as to reduce the burden on the patient; consequently, the treatment must be performed by inserting the surgical instruments into cavities of limited numbers and sizes. To accomplish this, after inserting the surgical instrument into an abdominal cavity, the surgeon uses a forceps for endoscope, which enables him to perform multi-free operations via a one-directional operation (e.g. see Japanese Patent Application, First Publication No. 2001-299768 (FIG. 3)).
According to the multi-free forceps of the above Patent Document, connecting pins and supporting pivots for supporting a connecting member are arranged around the central axis of drive rods, which deviate from their central axis in order to avoid the connecting pins and the supporting pivots. This makes it possible to perform an oscillating operation by assembling a link device, which is connected to operation axis members comprising a plurality of operating rods, change the direction of the device section by a rotating the handle while the multi-free forceps is inserted, thereby grasping the organism, stitch up the organism, and the like.
There has been proposed a forceps for endoscope in which a cam groove or the like is provided at the tip of the operation axis member, and a projection or rod member that is provided on the forceps member slides into the cam groove, reducing the amount of outward protrusion of the insertion section of the forceps (e.g. see Japanese Patent Application, First Publication No. 6-285078 (FIG. 1) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,740 (FIG. 4, FIG. 7)).